The Old Quarter is a relatively small district of present-day Hanoi. Here, the narrow streets and the tall, narrow buildings are still preserved in their original state. At the beginning of the 20th century, Hanoi consisted of only 36 streets. Most of them are now part of the Old Quarter.
The Old Quarter has not only remained true to tradition in its architecture, but you can also find market stalls and roadside food stalls everywhere. The shops are arranged by industry, there is Flowers Street, Sunglasses Avenue and Underwear Alley to name just a few. The local industries can be identified by the Vietnamese names of the streets.
The food stalls are also particularly beautiful. Here you can buy all kinds of fruit and vegetables, but also pretty much every well-known animal (yes, we also saw dogs). Special emphasis is placed on the freshness of the ingredients. The fish are still swimming in the tank, the chickens are still pecking the grass from the sidewalks and the rabbits are still jumping in their cages.
The most obvious, however, are the ubiquitous food stalls. On every corner you will find a Vietnamese woman cutting meat, cooking noodles or stirring soup. Around it, between 5 and 50 Vietnamese sit on tiny plastic chairs and poke around in their bowls. The food takes some getting used to, especially when it comes to hygiene. Whether and where you take this risk is therefore up to you.
In summary, the Old Quarter is a "must see" of every Hanoi trip. Whether for shopping or eating, a visit is always worthwhile.
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